Rocky Mountain Neurofeedback in Eagle offers new-age treatment

Derek Franz/dfranz@eaglevalleyenterprise.com
Nicole McGuffin shows off one of the treatment rooms at her new location for Rocky Mountain Neurofeedback at 1160 Capitol St., Suite 201, in Eagle Ranch. The clinic is located above HP's Provisions and the entrance is on the south side of the building.

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“We first came to Eagle from the Front Range in 2012 and we moved to Capitol Street three weeks ago so that we could expand the office and have two treatment rooms,” said the clinic’s owner, Nicole McGuffin, MA, LPC, BCN, a neuro and psychotherapist .

“We utilize a technique called neurofeedback, also known as neurotherapy and EEG biofeedback,” McGuffin said. “We also offer testing, brain mapping and counseling. I see adults and children but children are a lot of what I do.”

She said neurofeedback rewires the brain and the processes are all research-based and data-driven.

“We have the data to show that it works,” she said. “I treat a lot of patients with ADD/ADHD, learning disabilities, depression, anxiety and OCD, among other things.”

McGuffin said people with autism-spectrum disorders, traumatic brain injuries and those who don’t want to use psychological medications also benefit from neurofeedback.

So, you might ask, are there risks?

“There are no risks as long as it’s done by a qualified person with the proper equipment,” McGuffin said. “There can be mild side effects, such as slight headaches, light-headedness, euphoria and higher sensitivity to drugs and alcohol.”

McGuffin is certified by the Biofeedback Certification International Alliance.

“There are only about 7,000 people in the world with that certification,” she said. “There are many more who are qualified but haven’t gone through the extra steps to become board certified.”

A lot of McGuffin’s treatment incorporates computer games that are controlled by a patient’s mind. The games get the patient to focus in certain ways, which helps change neuropathways.

“This was developed in the late 1960s but it has really blown up in the last 10 years with all the technology and research in the field,” McGuffin said. “Within the last year or so, the American Academy of Pediatrics endorsed biofeedback as a Level 1-Best Support treatment for children with attention and hyperactivity disorders.”

Unfortunately, Colorado insurance companies provide spotty coverage at best for neurofeedback treatment but McGuffin said that might change in light of AAP’s approval.

“I always do free consultations for everyone,” she said. “It is important to make sure the treatment is the right fit for someone before he or she make the commitment.”

The commitment she refers to is a requirement of 20 sessions per physiological issue. Each session is $110. Intake is $135 and the first EEG is $700 and $500 thereafter.

“We do a thorough clinical history at intake and we have a very collaborative relationship with patients and the parents,” McGuffin said.